one of the most popular recent conveniences in the field of wheeled luggage is exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,431, assigned to the assignee hereof. This type of luggage includes a luggage case with wheels aligned on a common axis along one bottom edge of the case. An extendable pull handle is connected to the case. The user extends and grasps the pull handle, levers the case into a position where only the wheels touch a support surface, and pulls the case on its wheels by the extended handle. With the case levered into this rolling position, much of the weight of the case is balanced over the wheels so very little effort on the handle is required to maintain the case in the rolling position. The wheels withstand most of the weight, and it is very easy to move the case. Because the wheels are located along a common rotational axis at one bottom edge of the case, the case is also very maneuverable. After pulling the case on its wheels, the pull handle is inserted or retracted into the case.
A conventional carrying handle separate from the pull handle is available to carry the case in the conventional manner, rather than roll it on its wheels. When carrying the case, the pull handle is retracted to allow the case to be carried with the weight of the case and its contents suspended from the carrying handle in the conventional manner.
Rolling the case on its wheels and carrying the case while suspended from the carrying handle are essentially two separate functions. The carrying handle must support the weight of the case and its contents and do so in a way that maintains the balance of the case so that it can be easily suspended at the side of the person carrying it. In order to balance the case for carrying, the carrying handle must be located at the top of the case. The carrying handle must also be connected internally to a frame structure capable of supporting the weight of the case and its contents.
On the other hand, the pull handle is not intended for lifting the case, but is extended only to maneuver the case on its wheels. The pull handle must be sufficiently extendable and have a substantial enough connection and interaction with the case to allow the case to be tilted or levered onto its wheels, to maintain the case in the position over the wheels, and to direct the case by pulling it. The pull handle should also have enough strength to allow the case to be maneuvered up and down stairs and over street curbs. For these and other reasons, the pull handle is typically located on the side of the case above the wheels and is connected integrally enough with the case to transfer the levering force throughout the case.
Connecting the pull handle to the case in this manner is easier in a hard-sided luggage case than a soft-sided luggage case. In a hard-sided case, the relative rigidity of the case shells or halves comprise part of the internal structure to support, lever and pull the case by both the carrying handle and the pull handle. However, in soft-sided cases, the flexible exterior panels offer little or no structural integrity, and therefore an internal frame structure must be provided. The internal frame structure can be somewhat extensive in order to adequately accommodate a carrying handle, a separate pull handle and the wheels. Generally, the internal frame structure in soft-sided cases requires structural members around the internal periphery of the bag to support the weight of the bag from the carrying handle. Structural members are also required along one of the major exterior face panels of the case to connect to and support the pull handle. In some cases, the added complexity of the internal frame structure to provide both carrying and wheeled pulling capability substantially diminishes the advantages of lighter weight and flexibility associated with soft-sided luggage.
Perhaps one of the most important conveniences of wheeled luggage using an extendable pull handle has been the incorporation of an auxiliary luggage carrying capability. To obtain this capability, the auxiliary luggage is attached to the wheeled main luggage case and is supported on an upward facing exterior face panel of the tilted main luggage case when it is pulled on its wheels. The typical attachment technique involves extending a hook, strap or belt around the carrying handle of the auxiliary case to suspend it against the upward tilted exterior face panel of the main luggage case while the main case is pulled on its wheels.
Most of the auxiliary luggage attachment mechanisms described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,431 are functionally associated with the extendable pull handle. An attachment strap is connected to the pull handle and is exposed by the extension of the pull handle from its retracted position. The attachment strap is placed through the carrying handle of the auxiliary luggage, and then connected back to the pull handle near the point where the user grasps the pull handle. Thus, the pull handle must be extended to attach the auxiliary luggage.
If the attachment strap is not used to connect to auxiliary luggage, it is placed or folded into a middle portion of the pull handle. It is also necessary to place or fold the attachment strap into the middle portion of the pull handle when retracting the pull handle back into the interior of the case. Attempts to retract the pull handle with the attachment strap extended therefrom and connected to auxiliary luggage can cause obvious difficulties inconsistent with the intended operation.
Furthermore, the extension of the attachment strap from near the extended end of the pull handle to the carrying handle of the auxiliary luggage case may result in reduced stability of the auxiliary luggage, possibly making it difficult to maintain the position of the auxiliary luggage on the main case as the case rolls over uneven terrain. Furthermore, it may also be difficult to attach the auxiliary case to the main case when the pull handle is extended.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,431 also discloses an embodiment where the pull handle is separate from an exposed auxiliary attachment belt. The exposed attachment belt lacks the appeal and utility of the combined pull handle and attachment belt because the attachment belt is always exposed and poses the possibility of disconnecting from the case when not in use. Use of the separate attachment belt may also become inconvenient because of its lack of integrated functionality with the pull handle.
It is with respect to these considerations and others associated with wheeled luggage cases having an extendable pull handle and auxiliary luggage attachment capability that the present invention has evolved.